:: What I’ve Been Watching (& Recommend!)

These photos are featured in the documentary Ordinary Miracles: The Photo League’s New York. It’s a GREAT film chock full of amazing images of post 1930s New York.

The Photo League was more than a photographers club and photography school. It was a salon and an instrument for social change, documenting history with an army of cameras, focusing on both the beauty and ugliness of a rapidly changing city. If you’re into photography, you will love this… But you’ll also love this film if you are interested in people. I am interested in both, so I super LOVED it. It’s on iTunes here.

51 Birch Street

51 Birch Street: A son delves a little deeper into his parents’ relationship, after his mother dies. I loved the way this unfolded and the gentle and honest way that the family tells their story. It’s on iTunes too.

Mr Charles & Mrs Ray Eames

Ray Eames Studio

Eames: The Architect and the Painter: I feel that Ray Eames may be the best person in the universe. This is an awesome film documenting not just the timeline and history of the Eames, but their relationship too. Lots of awesome graphics, inspiring rooms and interesting people talking about how the Eames rose to super-designer-stardom and the things that happened along the way. On iTunes. Yep. Here.

David Wenham & Emily Watson : Oranges & Sunshine

Oranges and Sunshine: Argh. This made me sob. It’s such an important story and we will only be hearing more about this in light of the upcoming enquiry initiated by PM Gillard. I think every adult should watch this film. It’s based on the book Empty Cradles by social worker and director of the Child Migrants Trust Margaret Humphreys, tracking the terrible consequences of forced child deportation from the UK (between the 1920s and 1970s.)

Thousands of children were removed from their families under the guise of being sent to ‘better’ homes and families in Australia (the land of Oranges & Sunshine, so they said.) Instead they were shipped here (and to Canada) en masse, separated from their siblings and sent to children’s homes run by the church and charitable organisations. Some were told their parents had died, others just assumed they were not wanted. They were forced into hard labour, many not knowing who they really were or even WHERE they really were, continuing to work in service well into adulthood.

David Wenham, Hugo Weaving and the amazing Emily Watson tell this sadly true story beautifully. It’s important to acknowledge this stuff happened and I recommend this film with all my heart. You can rent it here.

Child migrants arrive in Australia : 1947

Have you been watching anything great? Why don’t you leave a mini review in the comments and we can all take a look at YOUR recommendations?